Monthly Update: December 2016

Happy New Year, y'all! I knew the last month of the year would fly by as quickly as those that preceded it, but DANG. It's 2017! I'll get into my Year in Review shortly, but before I recap the whole shebang, let's take a look at what happened in December:

What I did:

Bought Spectacles.

I have quite a love for Snapchat these days. I feel like I prefer it to Instagram lately. There's just something more authentic and real about it to me. You can't perfectly stage your life for Snapchat the way people do on Insta, so I feel more relaxed and more myself there. So pair that with my love for gadgets and I just about flipped when I learned that Snap Inc. was opening a Spectacles store here in NYC for a limited time. I woke up before the sun one Sunday morning to go wait in a 3-hour long line to purchase sunglasses with a video camera embedded inside of them. Like a true millenial! The good news is, I really like them and they are super fun. Just look at the kind of videos you can capture with these Spectacles:

After binge watching the entirety of Gilmore Girls all over again I decided I needed to continue my love affair with Lauren Graham by reading her new book. The entire time I was reading it, I was hearing her voice in my head, which only made me wish I'd bought the audiobook version instead. Either way, it was a quick, easy read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you're a Gilmore Girls fan, I definitely recommend it.

Went on a press trip to Costa Rica.

My final press trip of 2016 was to beautiful Costa Rica. I hadn't been there since Eric and I's honeymoon almost 8 years ago, so I was super excited. We visited a different area of the country than I'd been to on my honeymoon, so that was exciting as well! We stayed at the Westin Playa Conchal which was a beautiful all-inclusive property. If only E had been able to take the time off work to join me, it would've been a perfect trip! The organizers of the trip had some great excursions planned for us, including a sailing cruise, ziplining, and a visit to the local beach town.

Went ziplining (upside down!)

Eric and I went ziplining on our honeymoon so this wasn't my first rodeo. But on this particular ziplining excursion, I had the opportunity to get a little more adventurous than I had previously. The guides showed our group how to zip upside down!! It was the craziest feeling ever, and I just happened to capture it all with my Spectacles! (Excuse my ziplining gloves you can see in the corners of the video– I didn't want to lose my Specs!)

Saw the most gorgeous sunset ever.

We went on a sailing excursion while visiting Costa Rica that was absolutely incredible. I was so blown away by the array of colors and the way they streaked across the sky. It was one of those moments when you have to pause and make a silent profession of gratitude to God for all of life's blessings.

Went on a road trip.

Eric and I decided to drive the 1000 miles home to Nashville for the holidays this year. After buying our new car this summer, we decided that we should use it to make the trip home so we could bring the puppies home with us. The trip took about 14 hours each way but went by quite a bit faster than I expected. We listened to podcasts and even an audiobook…

For Christmas, my sister Kim gifted me with the audio version of Amy Schumer's new book on Audible, which was perfect for our drive home from Nashville. I'm kind of obsessed with female memoirs lately, so this was a perfect choice. I have to say, this book was not as funny as I expected it to be. It revealed some pretty dark moments from Amy's life and addressed some pretty serious topics, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. If anything, it gave me a deeper respect for her and what she's been able to accomplish with her career. One thing I'd say is that you should read the book — the audio version felt a little stiff and didn't have nearly the personality I expected out of a comedienne like Amy.

Got an Apple Watch.

Apparently I was a good girl this year, because Eric surprised me with an Apple Watch Series 2 for Christmas! I've been really enjoying wearing and using it. I especially love all the little reminders to get up, move, and breath during the day. I've also set myself reminders for some personal care tasks that I often forget about or am inconsistent with. I've set reminders for myself to do a sheet mask, Bioré strip, teeth whitening treatment, etc on various nights throughout the week. Maybe it'll help me be a little kinder to myself throughout the next year 🙂

Had a quiet New Year's Eve at home.

Eric and I rang in the New Year from the comfort of our couch for the third year in a row, and I couldn't be happier about it.

So that was December. 🙂 Stay tuned for my year in review where I'll share my overall thoughts on 2016.